Hymenophore terrestrial, annual, pileate, carbonous, brittle when dry. Pilei centrally stipitate, orbicular, 2-3 cm diameter; pileus surface black, even, polished; margin inturned, thin, even, concolorous; hymenial surface black, rough with spines. Stem equal, flattened, 2-2.5 x 0.8-1.2 cm, glabrous, black. Spines subulate, terete, crowded, 1-3 x 0.1-0.15 mm, black, fragile. Context 0.2-0.5 mm thick, black, shining, composed of parallel hyphae rather loosely arranged embedding masses of black gelatinous granules; generative hyphae 4-8 µ diameter, walls 0.2 µ thick, tinted brown, branched freely, septate, sometimes inflated between septa, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 50 µ deep, a dense palisade of basidia and paraphyses. Basidia clavate, 36-45 x 8-12 µ, 2-4-spored; sterigmata arcuate, stout, to 8 µ long. Paraphyses clavate, 16-22 x 4-6 µ. Spores globose or broadly elliptical, 7-9 µ diameter, or 8-10 x 7-9 µ, walls coarsely irregularly tuberculate, sinuate, pallid ferruginous, 0.2 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Solitary in humus under Dacrydium cupressinum.

Hymenophorum terrestre, carbonaceum, fragile. Pilei stirpibus mediis, orbiculati, 2-3 cm diam., superficies nigra, nitida. Stirpes aequae, planae, 2-2.5 x 0.8-1.2 cm. Spinae subulatae, teretes, 1-3 mm longae. Contextus niger, brunnearum hypharum generatoriarum 5-8 µ diam., nodulosarum. Basidia clavata, 36-45 x 8-12 µ, 2-4-sporis globosis vel late ellipticis, 8-10 x 7-9 µ, parietibus crasse inaequaliter tuberculatis, sinuatis, pallide ferrugineis.

Plants appear as if constructed from charcoal, being carbonous and fragile. Colour is derived from masses of black mucilage granules embedded among hyphae of the tissues, hyphae being lightly tinted brown. Spores are either globose or broadly elliptical, with brown walls which are coarsely irregularly tuberculate and sinuate. In colour and general appearance the species resembles Phellodon niger (Fr.) Karst.; it differs mainly in the spore characters, those of P. niger resembling spores of P. sinclairii. Plants possess a faint odour of aniseed, scarcely noticeable save when the herbarium package is first opened.

Otago: Half Moon Bay, Stewart Island, February 1954, J.M.Dingley, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 17707.

Wellington: York Bay, 400ft, August 1922, E.H.Atkinson; same locality, 500ft. July 1923, E.J.Butler-G.H.C.; Mt. Ruapehu, 3,000ft, March 1955, B.J.Hooton. Nelson: Staircase Creek, Reefton, 2,000ft, November 1952, S.D.Baker; Murchison, 500ft, April 1956, P.J.Brook; Lake Rotoiti, 2,000ft, April 1956, S.D. & P.J.Brook. Westland: Ahaura, April 1955, J.Hardcastle. Otago: Homer Saddle, Hollyford Valley, January 1950, J.M.Dingley; Alton Valley, Tuatapere, 600ft, February 1954, J.M.Dingley; Black Gully, Tapanui, April 1957, S.D. and P.J.Brook.

Hymenophore annual, coriaceous, pileate. Pilei stipitate, flabelliform with excentric stems, or campanulate with central stems, usually aggregated into groups of 3-5 with free stems but fused margins, sometimes forming rosettes, less frequently solitary, 2-5 cm tall, 1-5 cm radius. Pileus surface black, glabrous, radiately sulcate; margin incurved, thin, lobed or complicate. Hymenial surface black, tinted olivaceous, with a broad sterile border. Stems 0.5-2 cm x 1-5 mm, concolorous, flattened or terete, solid, glabrous save towards the base where sometimes tomentose, arising from a common mycelial mass. Spines decurrent, 0.5-2 mm long, subulate, terete, crowded, black with an olivaceous tinge. Context 0.5-1.5 mm thick, black, shining, composed of parallel hyphae firmly compacted; generative hyphae 3.5-4.5 µ diameter, walls 0.2 µ thick, coloured with black pigment granules, sparsely branched, septate, without clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 30µ deep, a dense palisade of basidia and paraphyses. Basidia subclavate, 18-22 x 5-6 µ, 2-4-spored; sterigmata erect, slender, to 4 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, 16-20 x 5-6 µ. Spores globose, 4-5 µ diameter (with spines 5-6 µ), walls moderately verruculose (spines 0.5 µ long), hyaline, 0.1 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: In humus on the floor of Nothofagus forests.

Plants commonly grow in crowded groups with stems free but margins fused to form rosettes, when pilei are flabelliform with excentric or lateral stems. Solitary pilei are usually campanulate with central stems. The entire plant is black when dry, colour being produced from black pigment granules embedded in walls of hyphae. Purple when they first emerge from the humus under beech trees, plants rapidly change to fuscous, then black. When fertile the hymenial surface assumes an olivaceous tinge, when sterile it also is black. Spores are globose with hyaline and finely verruculose walls, spines being about 0.5 µ long. Even after long keeping in the herbarium, plants possess a strong odour of aniseed. Collections match the type in Kew herbarium, which consists of five specimens in excellent condition, collected by Dr. Sinclair at Maungatua in 1860.

TYPE LOCALITY: Maungatua, New Zealand.

Beilschmiedia tawa (A.Cunn.) Hook.f. & Benth. Wellington: Weraroa, 50ft, July 1919, G.H.C. Casuarina sp. North Queensland: Stony Creek, June 1955, W.Pont, No. 886, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 17709. Leptospermum ericoides A.Rich. Auckland: Parahaki, Whangarei, June 1948, J.M.Dingley. Litsaea calicaris (Sol.) Benth. & Hook.f. Auckland: Woodhill, 100ft, July 1953, J.M.Dingley.

Hymenophore annual, membranous, pileate. Pilei effused-reflexed, with broad resupinate bases, 12-25 mm long, 8-12 mm radius, or applanate when imbricate, 5-30 mm wide, 5-10 mm radius; pileus surface straw colour or pallid tan, finely tomentose, concentrically sulcate and zoned with bands of hairs of different shades of brown, radiately rugulose; margin thinning out, plane, entire, somewhat complicate, concolorous. Hymenial surface straw colour, rough with spines, not creviced. Spines subulate, terete, crowded, 0.5-2.5 mm long. Context white or straw colour, 0.2-0 5 mm thick, composed of intertwined mainly parallel hyphae; skeletal hyphae 5-8 µ diameter, walls 0.2 µ thick, hyaline, staining, sparsely septate, sparsely branched; generative hyphae 3-4.5 µ diameter, walls 0.5-1 µ thick, hyaline, staining, branched, septate, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 35 µ deep, a dense palisade of basidia, paraphyses and conducting hyphae. Basidia subclavate, 10-16 x 3.5-4 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata slender, erect, to 3 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, 8-12 x 3-3.5 µ. Conducting hyphae arising in the context, traversing spines and forming the bulk of the axial tissues, cylindrical, 5-8 µ diameter, projecting slightly at spine apices, turning at right angles and projecting for 50 µ from the hymenial layer of the spines, naked, filled with refractive oily contents. Spores oval or obovate, 2-2.5 x 1.5-2 µ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.l µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION: Queensland, New Zealand

HABITAT: Usually imbricate on bark of dead stems and stumps.

Hymenophorum lignicoloratum, membranaceum. Pilei effuso-reflexi; superficies straminea vel pallide alutacea, tomentosa, concentraliter sulcata et ordinibus pilorum varie brunneorum cincta, radiatim rugulosa. Contextus hypharum skeletalium plurimum parallelarum, hyalinarum, 5-8 µ diam., generatoriarum 3-5 µ diam., nodulosarum. Basidia subclavata, 10-16 x 3.5-4 µ. Hyphae lactiferae, in spinis traversae, ad 50 µ eminentes, 5-8 µ diam. Sporae ovales vel obovatae, 2-2.5 x 1.5-2 µ, parietibus levibus, hyalinis.

An unusual feature which enables the species to be recognized readily is the presence of conducting hyphae, containing refractive contents and oil drops, a feature not noted in any other species of Steccherinum. A second is the small size of the spores, which do not exceed 2.5 µ in length, and are difficult to see unless thin sections are prepared and adequately stained. Surface features resemble those of S. ochraceum, and in fact one collection was so named by C.G.Lloyd. Skeletal hyphae are thin-walled and form the conducting hyphae; walls of the generative hyphae are relatively thick in hyphae of the context (though thin-walled in the sub-hymenium) the converse of what is usually found in species with a dimitic hyphal system. Hyphae stain deeply in aniline blue.

Casuarina sp. North Queensland: Stony Creek, June 1955, W.Pont, No. 886, type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 17709.

Coprosma australis (A.Rich.) Robinson. Auckland: Mamaku Forest, 1,800ft, September 1954, G.H.C., type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 17708. Elaeagnus parvifolia Royle Auckland: Anawhata Road; Waitakeres, 900ft, April 1948, J.M.Dingley. Muehlenbeckia australis (Forst.f.) Meissn. Otago: Taieri Mouth, 200ft, May 1952, G.T.S.Baylis. Podocarpus spicatus R.Br. Otago: Hollyford Valley, January 1950, J.M.Dingley. Schefflera digitata Forst. Westland: Weheka, 600ft, November 1946, J.M.Dingley. Otago: Doubtful Sound, February 1948, J.M.Dingley.

Hymenophore annual, membranous, loosely attached, effused forming irregular areas 3-9 x 1-3 cm, with several outlying islands; pilei represented by scanty, narrow, reflexed margins; hymenial surface cream, soon alutaceous, rough with reddish-brown or concolorous spines, not creviced; margin thinning out, fibrillose, white, adnate or sometimes incurved and occasionally erect. Spines reddish-brown or concolorous, crowded, some aggregated into groups of 2-4, subulate, flaccid, 0.2-0.6 mm long, apices acute or sometimes penicillate. Context white, 150-230 µ thick, of mainly parallel hyphae more densely arranged beneath the substratum; skeletal hyphae 3-4.5 µ diameter, walls 0.75-1.5 µ thick, hyaline, aseptate, sparsely branched; generative hyphae 3-3.5 µ diameter, walls 0.2 µ thick, hyaline, branched, septate, with clamp connexions. Hymenial layer to 50 µ deep, a dense palisade of basidia and paraphyses. Basidia subclavate, 12-16 x 4.5-5 µ, 4-spored; sterigmata erect, slender, to 3 µ long. Paraphyses subclavate, 10-14 x 4-4.5 µ. Cystidia confined to spines, most projecting apically, some laterally, long-cylindrical, 50-90 x 6-10 µ, crystal-coated save on exposed apices. Spores suballantoid, laterally apiculate, 3.5-4 x 1.5-2 µ, walls smooth, hyaline, 0.1 µ thick.

DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand.

HABITAT: Effused on bark and decorticated wood of dead branches.

Hymenophorum lignicoloratum, membranaceum, effusum, resupinatum, subinde marginibus anguste reflexis pileii modo. Sunerficies hymenii cremea deinde alutacea, non rimosa. Spinae rufido-brunneae vel alutaceae, 0.2-0.6 mm longae. Contextus hypharum skeletalium, plurimum parallelarum, hyalinarum, 3-3.5 µ diam., generatoriarum 3-3.5 µ diam., nodulosarum. Basidia subclavata, 12-16 x 4.5-5 µ. Cystidia in spines, cylindricalia, 60-90 x 8-10 µ, crystallis crassⁱs tecta, eminentia. Sporae suballantoides, 3.5-4 x 1.5-2 µ, parietibus levibus, hyalinis.

Separated from other species of the genus by the usually resupinate fructifications, long cystidia confined to the spines, and small suballantoid spores. Cystidia are formed from enlarged skeletal hyphae; they may be abundant or somewhat scantily developed, and are confined to the spines, projecting from their apices and walls. In the interior they are coated with hyaline crystals save towards the base, whereas projecting portions are naked or naked at their apices. Spores are small, suballantoid with lateral apiculi, and scantily produced. This is an anomalous species since most fructifications are resupinate with adnate or loosely attached margins. A few have the margins upturned and free, margins then representing rudimentary pilei, a condition not uncommon in many collections of S. ochraceum. The hyphal system is dimitic, and as no species of Odontia possesses skeletal hyphae, whereas all species of Steccherinum examined are dimitic, the plant has been referred to the latter genus.

Coprosma australis (A.Rich.) Robinson. Auckland: Mamaku Forest, 1,800ft, September 1954, G.H.C., type collection, P.D.D. herbarium, No. 17708.